Blood treatment device with rod-shaped means for securing objects

ABSTRACT

For the examiner&#39;s convenience, a clean text version of the replacement abstract (114 words) is presented below: 
     A blood treatment machine has a housing and a blood treatment module to hold components of an extracorporeal blood circulation. The machine simplifies access to a securing means for securing objects, in particular containers such as bags containing medicinal fluids, that is attached to a rod-shaped means attached to the blood treatment machine. Vertical and horizontal directions are defined by the orientation of the housing during the use of the blood treatment machine. The rod-shaped means has at least one first section and a second section, whereby the axial extent in the second section runs in a different direction than in the first section. In another embodiment, the rod-shaped means has a cropped course.

The invention relates to the field of blood treatment machines according to the preamble of claim 1.

A wide variety of devices are used for extracorporeal blood treatment. Such a blood treatment device has a blood treatment module and in many cases also has other modules. The blood treatment module is suitable for holding the components of an extracorporeal blood circulation. With the help of such an extracorporeal blood circulation, usually in the form of disposable items intended for a single use, blood is taken from a patient and circulated via a blood supply line to a blood treatment element returned from there back to the patient via a blood return line. For example, the blood treatment element may be a hemofilter or hemodialyzer for renal replacement therapy, divided by a semipermeable membrane into two chambers, one chamber having the extracorporeal blood flow through it. In this case the other chamber is used to remove substances that are to be removed and/or liquid and in the case of hemodialysis a cleaning fluid may flow through it.

However, other blood treatment elements are also conceivable, such an oxygenator for artificial respiration or a blood absorption element for removal of certain substances from the extracorporeal blood by adsorption on suitably prepared surface elements.

For this purpose, the blood treatment module has sensors and/or actuators such as pumps and/or valves to detect components of the extracorporeal blood circulation, to control the blood treatment accordingly and monitor it.

With such blood treatments it may be necessary to keep the solutions that are in containers, in particular in bags, ready for use during the blood treatment. Such solutions may be solutions that are needed directly for the blood treatment itself, such as dialysis solution in the case of hemodialysis treatment or substituate solution in the case of hemofiltration treatment. However, the containers and/or solutions may also be those needed only in certain situations, e.g., when complications occur. For example, there may be a sudden drop in blood pressure during a hemodialysis treatment, but it can be counteracted by infusion of physiological saline solution.

For this reason, blood treatment machines on which a traditional infusion rod with a securing device designed as a so-called bottle stand mounted on it are widely used. Such an arrangement has the advantage that in addition to the blood treatment machine, it is not necessary to provide a separate infusion stand. The infusion rod attached to the blood treatment machine can be shifted in this way simultaneously with the blood treatment machine, which is usually mounted on stand elements designed as rollers, to adjust it to a variable position of the patient.

Since blood treatment machines may be of a considerable extent, this traditional arrangement has proven to be a disadvantage inasmuch as in this case the bottle stand is directly above the blood treatment machine. Access to the bottle stand may prove difficult here when mounting and removing items because the shortest access from beneath is not always directly accessible.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to make available a blood treatment machine which permits simplified access to the securing means designed as a bottle stand, for example.

This object is achieved with a blood treatment machine having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiment are the subject of subclaims.

The inventive blood treatment machine has a housing and a blood treatment module, whereby vertical and horizontal directions are defined by the orientation of the housing during the use of the blood treatment machine. Furthermore, a rod-like means is attached to the blood treatment machine, its axial extent having at least one component running vertically to the housing. A securing means for securing articles is connected to the rod-shaped means. According to this invention the rod-shaped means has at least one first section and a second section, whereby the axial extent in the second section runs in a different direction than in the first section. This arrangement makes is possible to arrange the securing means in an area of the rod-shaped means that allows easier access from underneath. An embodiment in which the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the securing means runs next to the vertical projection of the housing is especially advantageous.

Details of the invention are explained in greater detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an inventive blood treatment machine and

FIG. 2 shows the individual sections of the rod-shaped means of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows a blood treatment machine 1 having a housing 2 and a blood treatment module 3. The blood treatment module 3, the shape of which is indicated schematically by the dotted line, is suitable for holding components of an extracorporeal circulation. Of these, FIG. 1 shows a blood inlet line 4 leading from a patient (not shown) to a blood treatment element 5 and a blood return line 6 returning from the blood treatment element 5 to the patient. The blood treatment element may consist of a hemodialyzer or hemofilter divided by a semipermeable membrane into two chambers, for example. Such blood treatment elements are often designed in the form of hollow fiber modules which contain thousands of membrane fibers, the interior of which has extracorporeal blood flowing through it. For the sake of simplicity, FIG. 1 does not show the components of an extracorporeal blood circulation that pertain to the connection of lines for additional liquids such as dialysis fluid to the blood treatment element as well as other elements with which those skilled in the art are familiar.

The elements of the extracorporeal blood circulation, usually designed as disposable items, are connected to actuators and sensors of the blood treatment module 3, so that the blood treatment machine can control and monitor the actual blood treatment. Of these actuators and sensors, a blood pump 7 and a venous clamp 8 are shown here as examples. Blood is circulated in the extracorporeal circulation with the help of the blood pump 7. The venous clamp 8 serves to interrupt the flow in the extracorporeal circulation in the event of an alarm situation.

The housing 2 has stand elements 12 designed as rollers on the lower end so that the blood treatment machine can be shifted as needed. A rod-shaped means 20 is attached to the upper bordering surface 13 of the housing 2 by a rotary coupling 27. The rod-shaped means 20 extends axially with a component running vertically to the housing 2 starting from a first lower end, whereby the housing 2 defines the vertical and horizontal directions by being set up for use of the blood treatment machine. At the second upper end of the rod-shaped means 20 there are securing means 21, consisting of rods 25 arranged in the form of a cross in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, these rods defining a plane horizontal to the housing 2. Hooks 26 for securing objects are provided at the ends of the rods 25. The rods 25 are attached to a securing block 28 that is in turn attached to the rod-shaped means 20.

As an example, an object 11 designed as a bag filled with infusion fluid is shown as being suspended from one of the hooks 27. The bag 11 is connected to a blood return line 6 via a connecting line 9 and a T connector piece. In this embodiment the connecting line 9 also leads via an infusion pump 10 provided on the blood treatment module 3 so that, if required, an infusion can be controlled by the blood treatment machine 1.

FIG. 2 shows the rod-shaped means 20 in detail. It consists of three sections 22, 23 and 24. The first section 22 attached to the rotary coupling 27 at an axial extent A running vertically to the housing. A second section 23 is connected to this first section 22, its axial extent B extending in another direction than that of the first section. In this embodiment the axial extent B has a horizontal as well as a vertical component. This achieves the result that the perpendicular projection of the securing means 21 attached to the rod-shaped means 20 is shifted horizontally in relation to the fastening of the first section 22 to the housing 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the vertical projection actually runs next to the vertical projection of the housing 2. The securing means 21 can therefore be more easily accessible from underneath.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, a third section 24 is also connected to the second section 23 of the rod-shaped means 20, its axial extent C running parallel to the axial extent of the first section, i.e., in this embodiment the shape of the rod-shaped means 20 is cropped.

The rotary coupling 27 allows the entire rod-shaped means 20 to be swiveled over the upper bordering surface 13 of the blood treatment machine 1, should this be necessary, e.g., in conveyance of the blood treatment machine 1 or if it is appropriate in the individual case for reasons of space, for example, during a blood treatment.

The rod-shaped means 20 and/or the individual sections thereof may be designed in one piece or comprised of multiple components. It may then be possible for different vertical and horizontal course of the rod-shaped means 20 to be implemented by different components as needed, as is possible with a modular system.

The design of the inventive blood treatment machine thus allows simplified access to the securing means for bags containing medicinal solutions, for example, without having to sacrifice the advantages of a conventional device in which a vertical infusion rod is attached to the housing of the blood treatment machine. 

1. A blood treatment machine (1) having a housing (2) and a blood treatment module (3), whereby vertical and horizontal directions are defined by the orientation of the housing during the use of the blood treatment machine, having rod-shaped means (20) attached to the blood treatment machine, the axial extent thereof having at least one vertical component in relation to the housing, and having securing means (21) connected to the rod-shaped means (20) for securing objects, characterized in that the rod-shaped means (20) have at least one first section (22) and a second section (23), whereby the axial extent in the second section (23) runs in a different direction than in the first section (22).
 2. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the rod-shaped means (20) are attached to an upper bordering surface (13) of the housing (2).
 3. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the rod-shaped means (20) are mounted on the blood treatment machine (1) to rotate about the axis of the first section (22).
 4. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the second section (23) runs between the first section (22) and the third section (24) whereby the axial extent of the third section (24) runs in a different direction than that of the second section.
 5. The blood treatment machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the axial extent of the first area (22) and the third area (24) run in parallel directions.
 6. The blood treatment machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the axial extent of the first area (22) and the third area (24) run in a vertical direction in relation to the housing (2).
 7. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the securing means (21) runs next to the vertical projection of the housing (2).
 8. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the securing means (21) comprise hook-shaped and/or rod-shaped fastening means (25, 26).
 9. The blood treatment machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the fastening means consist of rods (25) arranged in a cross, defining a horizontal plane in relation to the housing (2).
 10. The blood treatment machine according to claim 9, characterized in that hooks (26) for securing objects, in particular, containers such as bags (11) containing infusion solution and/or dialysis solution are provided on the ends of the rods (25).
 11. The blood treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the blood treatment module (3) is suitable for holding components of extracorporeal blood circulation, comprising a blood supply line (4) leading from a patient to a blood treatment element (5), a blood treatment element (5) and blood return line (6) leading back from the blood treatment element (5) to the patient.
 12. The blood treatment machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the blood treatment element is a hemofilter or a hemodialyzer that is divided by a semipermeable membrane into two chambers, the one chamber being connected to the blood supply line (4) and the blood return line (6).
 13. The blood treatment machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the blood treatment module (3) has actuators and/or sensors (7,8) to detect the components of the extracorporeal blood circulation.
 14. The blood treatment machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the blood treatment module is suitable for holding a line (9) that carries liquid and connects the secured object to the extracorporeal circulation.
 15. The blood treatment machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the blood treatment module (3) has actuators and/or sensors (10) to hold the liquid carrying line (9) to be connected. 